'Sometimes I Might Be Introvert' is a big exploration for Little Simz, but ends up feeling deflated as it goes on.
Aiming bigger is what Little Simz is attempting to do in her latest album, ‘Sometimes I Might Be An Introvert’, a project that tries to outdo her potential even after what she has laid upon the explosive ‘GREY area’ album that she released a couple of years back. That might also have to do with her successes after that album, leading to her newest project to aim high and broad than ever before.
To some degree, that is true. Exploring British cultural conflicts amidst her own battles with her introvertedness and reflection with her fame, Little Simz can sell that with her continuous lyrical wit and power as she rides through varied instrumentation courtesy from Inflo that includes African drumbeats, organic bass grooves, string sweeps, and classic r&b and soul samples to accentuate that classy and sometimes understated soundscapes that feel necessary with what she’s trying to tell. But besides the first half of the album and the interludes, the rest of the project seems embedded more in Little Simz’s tales of empowerment and successes and not pushing the high British conflict that was introduced early on. The empowerment and success musings are good on their own, but not delving deeper into those conflicts only makes those punches hit less. The production and instrumentation by Inflo feel nice for the most part, but the album gets less of those string sweeps and gets a bit more clunky as the drum machines swerve in, the grooves get only reliant on the bass and the drum lines and not much else.
This is an album that feels personal for Little Simz and to those that can connect to her story. It hits much more than GREY area, but the execution of the themes and instrumentation doesn’t cut through as it should. It sure is a big statement, but it should’ve been a grand one.
Favorite Tracks: Introvert, Woman, Two Worlds Apart, I Love You, I Hate You, Point and Kill, Little Q, Pt. 2, Standing Ovation, Fear No Man, Rolling Stone Least Favorite Track: Speed